fumps Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 (edited) Hi guys About two years ago my older brother was doing some work for a land fill company & in a skip he found a battered & unloved electric guitar, so he calls me up & asks me if i wanted it. Feeling sorry for the poor thing I asked him to bring it over. So I acquired a yellow Hondo Les paul special thinking that someone would want to give it a good home. Anyway after asking around & even putting an advert in the local gumtree as a free to a good home item someone would snap this up. Not a single bit of interest about giving this little dude a new home, so it went up into my loft & got forgotten about until last weekend when i was taking the xmas trimmings down & i spot it in the corner of my eye. So I've decided to clean it up & give it a new lease of life. but to be honest I've never done this before. The way i see it is that i get to learn about repairing a guitar that has cost me nothing & when i have finished someone will get a free workable guitar, I'm hoping to find a young person who may use the guitar as inspiration to learn & start their journey into music. So what I'm planning on is replacing the tuning pegs, bridge, maybe even the pick ups or at least check & make good the electrics. For a novice do you guys think if this is possible for me or am i getting ideas above my station ? A bit about the guitar : It's a Hondo, Definitely a Les Paul shape but does not have a scratch plate, it's in bright yellow. Apart from the dirt on it the body is fine & free of any dinks or bad scratches. I have checked the neck & it looks fine but then again I am no expert. I plugged it in but could not get sound through the amp so i think it may need rewiring or even the pups replacing. Edited January 10, 2013 by fumps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldG Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 (edited) Yeah do it! Go to [url="http://guitarfetish.com/"]Guitarfetish[/url] and order everything you need at a nice price, grab a soldering iron and a few basic tools and create.... I have a leftybody Strat with RH maple neck loaded with 2x p90's and a lipstick in the middle position, quality pots,jack and wiring. Cost under £100 for every thing (including the body and neck from the bay in at £45). It rocks! [url="ftp://thefamilyhastings%40tiscali.co.uk:[email protected]/Mick/bitza.jpg"][/url] Edited January 10, 2013 by OldG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 (edited) just before I left school, mummy got me a hondo11 black les Paul ccpy.from a catalogue It was a lovely axe. Unfortunately I was worse than useless, so mummy returned it and got me a hondo precision copy. Anyway, over the Xmas I looked on fleabay and found that you can still get them at bargain price. (Late 70s) Sounds like you have a nice find there. Pics ? Edited January 10, 2013 by RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fumps Posted January 10, 2013 Author Share Posted January 10, 2013 (edited) [quote name='RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE' timestamp='1357817096' post='1928783'] Sounds like you have a nice find there. Pics ? [/quote] Will post some pictures tomorrow, it's a bright yellow colour, which part of me would love to change but I'm worried about stripping it down. Cheers guys..... as i say I've never done anything like this before. Because I'm a soft hearted git a big part of me wants to put a nice neck on it & make it a really nice guitar but because i know naff all about this kind of thing I'm gonna go for the easier option. Edited January 10, 2013 by fumps Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldG Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 (edited) As I remember the Hondo's were ply bodied but quite useable. Might rule out a natural finish Edited January 10, 2013 by OldG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fumps Posted January 10, 2013 Author Share Posted January 10, 2013 [quote name='OldG' timestamp='1357816217' post='1928758'] Yeah do it! Go to [url="http://guitarfetish.com/"]Guitarfetish[/url] and order everything you need at a nice price, grab a soldering iron and a few basic tools and create.... [/quote] Ooo cheers for this, I'm looking through now writing up a shopping list lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fumps Posted January 10, 2013 Author Share Posted January 10, 2013 [quote name='OldG' timestamp='1357817338' post='1928792'] As I remember the Hondo's were ply bodied but quite useable. Might rule out a natural finish [/quote] Yes I was thinking more of a different colour. Maybe white or matt black but not sure about stripping the paint/glaze off. I'm thinking it would do more harm than good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldG Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Nitromors (if it'll touch it) and sanding (lots of this).... fill any blems>high build primer> top coats>laquer. My mate (Rejectfly) has just stripped back the Pink B.C Rich Eagle bass he got from the forum adds here. Back to bare wood in two evenings with sanding alone... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fumps Posted January 10, 2013 Author Share Posted January 10, 2013 Hmmmmm and after all that I will have a plywood body that could possibly be a mess ? So a nice yellow guitar it stays ....lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldG Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 [quote name='fumps' timestamp='1357817270' post='1928788'] Will post some pictures tomorrow, it's a bright yellow colour, which part of me would love to change but I'm worried about stripping it down. Cheers guys..... as i say I've never done anything like this before. Because I'm a soft hearted git a big part of me wants to put a nice neck on it & make it a really nice guitar but because i know naff all about this kind of thing I'm gonna go for the easier option. [/quote] You'll struggle to find an aftermarket bolt on Les Paul Neck - even then the quality of the body doesn't warrant this imho... If you don't fancy a refinish - how about ratting it with a stickerbomb finish? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Vader Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 Some of those Hondo les pauls (and I've gone through a fair few) have some utterly lovely Di Marzio pickups in them. Which is why I get through so many, cos I keep buying them, nicking the pickups and using them in Epiphones (which are nice guitars with sh*t pickups) It is bound to be ply under there, there are very few non-ply hondo's out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fumps Posted January 10, 2013 Author Share Posted January 10, 2013 Well I have just dropped my mate a text telling him that I'm going to strip down that Hondo beast lol He is begging me to paint it up with my own artwork. but how the hell I'd do that is beyond me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fumps Posted January 10, 2013 Author Share Posted January 10, 2013 [quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1357820798' post='1928866'] Some of those Hondo les pauls (and I've gone through a fair few) have some utterly lovely Di Marzio pickups in them. Which is why I get through so many, cos I keep buying them, nicking the pickups and using them in Epiphones (which are nice guitars with sh*t pickups) It is bound to be ply under there, there are very few non-ply hondo's out there. [/quote] ooo do you know much about these then ? As i say I'm confused because when i google them, they all have scratch plates this one doesn't. do you know why ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldG Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 (edited) Only 2 screws to hold an LP scratchplate - and they stick out from the body. I've seen quite a few removed to suit the owners taste. Edited January 10, 2013 by OldG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fumps Posted January 10, 2013 Author Share Posted January 10, 2013 [quote name='OldG' timestamp='1357821675' post='1928895'] Only 2 screws to hold an LP scratchplate - and they stick out from the body. I've seen quite a few removed to suit the owners taste. [/quote] ho right......I may replace then just to make it look a little neater, I was thinking it looked a little featureless Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldG Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 [quote name='Dave Vader' timestamp='1357820798' post='1928866'] Some of those Hondo les pauls (and I've gone through a fair few) have some utterly lovely Di Marzio pickups in them. Which is why I get through so many, cos I keep buying them, nicking the pickups and using them in Epiphones (which are nice guitars with sh*t pickups) It is bound to be ply under there, there are very few non-ply hondo's out there. [/quote] Sounds like the pickups may be keepers.... If you are getting no sound at all from amping up - the wires at the jack are a favourite suspect. Four screws to undo to check.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldG Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 [quote name='fumps' timestamp='1357822296' post='1928909'] ho right......I may replace then just to make it look a little neater, I was thinking it looked a little featureless [/quote] In fact. I just treated myself to a cheapie LP - no guard as standard.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RAY AGAINST THE MACHINE Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 [quote name='fumps' timestamp='1357819920' post='1928849'] Hmmmmm and after all that I will have a plywood body that could possibly be a mess ? So a nice yellow guitar it stays ....lol [/quote] Keep the yellow! I know most people here hate yellow basses. Think of the taxi bass by dean. get Wayne punk dude to put some chequered stuff on it ,) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 (edited) Where are the photos? As other have said while most Hondos are typical early 80s beginners instruments there are one or two very nice ones around too. I'm pretty certain someone on here has a rather nice looking (and playing) Hondo Les Paul with a set neck. Is yours a set neck or bolt-on? Don't worry about the lack of scratch plate/pick guard. They were easily removed and could interfere with your playing style in the same way that the ashtrays on Fenders did. Edited January 10, 2013 by BigRedX Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fumps Posted January 10, 2013 Author Share Posted January 10, 2013 Sorry mate I didn't take any but will post some tomorrow. As I say, it was found in a skip so it's in a bit of a bedraggled state & unloved lol I'm seriously considering OldG's idea of the stickerbomb finish......hmmm fun ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Vader Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 I have owned 4 like this... I killed the first 2 gigging with them back when i was a teenager, loved the sound of those pickups. The other 2 have been bought on whims due to missing my original one so much. Both have had problems with the necks, and been sold on for parts, minus the pickups, which I have in an old Ibanez roadstar, and an Epi SG. Hondo and Hondo 2 instruments vary wildly from one to the other, as BRX as said. Need to see yours to know, if the pups look like Gibson PAFs they are probably unbuckers. (Single coils hidden in HB covers, lauded by mark d philips as wonderful things, actually a bit sh*t). If they are black or white, and have made by Di Marzio stamped on the bottom, then yay! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fumps Posted January 10, 2013 Author Share Posted January 10, 2013 Yeh I'm never that lucky mate lol knowing my luck this one will be the Friday guitar built by the incompetent who forgot to put his nappy pants on & was in a rush to leave for the day. So instead of great pick ups he actually put in two cunningly disguised Casio digital watches & a piece of coat hanger to hold them in place. And I will try & put this into order as my first attempt.....I have an uncanny ability to start a new project & hit every rare difficulty you can possibly hit on the way lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 [quote name='fumps' timestamp='1357827803' post='1929086'] Yeh I'm never that lucky mate lol knowing my luck this one will be the Friday guitar built by the incompetent who forgot to put his nappy pants on & was in a rush to leave for the day. So instead of great pick ups he actually put in two cunningly disguised Casio digital watches & a piece of coat hanger to hold them in place. And I will try & put this into order as my first attempt.....I have an uncanny ability to start a new project & hit every rare difficulty you can possibly hit on the way lol [/quote][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif]if you wanna borrow any tools or anything that stumps you just say [/font][/color] [color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif] Also if you wanna try the graffiti nitro paint for a respray I can give tips if need (see my jazz build thread)[/font][/color] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Stu Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 [quote name='fumps' timestamp='1357825918' post='1929022']I'm seriously considering OldG's idea of the stickerbomb finish......hmmm fun ! [/quote] That's nearly as bad an idea as putting fake Gibson logo on it & telling everyone it's a vintage TV Yellow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldG Posted January 11, 2013 Share Posted January 11, 2013 Not a fan of stickers then - to each his own... I was thinking that there is no point in trying to refinish an old ply piece of japcrap - may as well embrace the 'turdiness' instead of trying to polish it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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